New sports pavilion is a hit with softball team

Thanks to the generosity of Board Trustee and ASPIRE Committee Member Mark Frisch and wife Meredith Chartrand Frisch, JU’s softball team now trains in a new hitting and fielding pavilion. The 7,000 square foot training ground includes three retractable Burbank Sports Nets batting cages that can be pulled back for a full in-field practice on the 60’ x 50’ field turf surface, and is fully lit for around the clock use by the team. Made possible through a transformational leadership gift, The Mark and Meredith Frisch Pavilion completes the Fred and Debbie Pruitt Softball Complex – an adjacent facility that includes 2,300 square feet of offices, a locker room, team lounge, and study area.

The Frisch’s support many areas at Jacksonville University, including scholarships, the River House, golf and golf scholarships, men’s basketball, the JU Fund, the President’s Discretionary Fund, and other important programs.

“We feel it is very important to give back, and our families have always been good examples,” Mark said. “Having a strong education system in any city is crucial, and having a great private university in this Jacksonville is vital and something we want to see continue to get stronger in the future.”

Mark is Executive VP at Beaver Street Fisheries, a family business owned by Mark’s grandfather Mr. Harry Frisch. He is also the owner of the Jacksonville ARMADA, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League. Meredith is former Early Childhood Director at the Chartrand Foundation.

The gifts from the Pruitt’s and the Frisch’s are part of the tremendous investment in the ASPIRE Campaign, which has a $17 million goal for improving Athletics facilities.